Upon Waking

One of my favorite things happens when I first wake up in the morning. I no longer have a job that requires me to jump up and rush off. I have no small children to care for. I have no one to answer to but myself. I have no need to hurry.

I enjoy lying in bed propped up by pillows and looking out the window. It may not sound like much but read on.

My bed is across the room from the window. I can only see the trees and the sky from there. It is surprising what I can see in that little box.

There are a variety of trees. Some are deciduous, others are evergreens. The leaves and needles are all different shades of color.

Birds fly by and sometimes stop on the branches of the trees. Cardinals, robins, mourning doves, chickadees wrens, thrushes; there are so many. It simply depends on which ones are out that day.

Occasionally I see a squirrel running through the trees. It does not happen often. They seem to prefer the trees in my front yard. I wonder why.

In the spring I watch the snow melt from the branches. The evergreens seem to stand a little taller. The other trees start to show tiny buds on their branches. Soon there are tiny leaves that become bigger leaves.

Flowers appear on the branches. Some are not flowers like we normally think of flowers. Those are the fun ones to spot. One tree outside my window has the most beautiful blooms. They last for about two weeks.

Summer brings more changes. The fruits of the trees are beginning to grow. Even the evergreens have cones or whatever else they produce to re-produce. The birds are plentiful and sometimes very noisy. I have trouble picking out the individual calls on days like that.

A nice summer rain is a real treat. I like rain. Watching the drops fall is hypnotic. The sound on the roof is soothing. And I believe I can actually see everything outside is cleaner because of nature's shower.

Late spring and early summer is when the sun shines brightly in my window. It makes it hard for me to look out until the sun rises a little higher in the sky. But it plays among the small openings between leaves and needles creating a light show just for me.

Late summer and early fall is when the moon takes over at night. Of course I do not see it in the morning but it is just as spectacular as the sun. It makes a soothing night light.

In the fall the leaves begin to turn colors. I get greens, yellows, and reds again in varying shades. They look a little dryer. Then they begin to fall from the trees. Watching them float to the ground as they catch little eddies of breeze on the way makes me wonder what it would feel like to be able to float on the breezes.

Of course there are leaves that fall on my roof and stay there. Most of those are from the trees in the front yard. On a nice windy autumn day they blow off in bunches when the wind blows. Then there are hundreds of leaves soaring in the air.

Even the evergreen trees begin to lose a little of the vibrant green coloring. They may retain their needles but they are definitely going to relax during the winter.

In the winter the trees show a character that you cannot see the rest of the year. Bare branches seem to show the souls of the trees. Even as they sleep they lift their limbs toward the nourishment of the sun. A few small pieces of fruit cling to one of the trees stubbornly refusing to fall until they are ready.

When it starts to snow the darkness of the trees allows me to see the flakes as they drift toward the ground. The first flakes are small and very sparse. Later on when heavy snows fall I might not even be able to see the trees because of the snow.

Then some of the snow will nestle in the trees. The contrast of the white against the bare branches and the dull green needles is magnificent. I might even get lucky enough to see a heavy mass of wet snow become too heavy for the tree and fall with a plop toward the ground.

Sometimes it will be warm enough that the precipitation is rain. Because it is so cold the rain will cling to the trees and freeze there. The branches and needles will shine with the ice coating. A few will have little icicles dripping from them.

If we are really lucky I will wake up to a hoar frost. That is dew that freezes to a fluffy looking white that completely covers the trees. It is one of the most beautiful things a person can see.

The birds are easier to see in the winter because they cannot hide in the leaves. There can also be different birds than I might see in the summer.

As I make my seasonal observations I lie relaxing in my bed as cozy as a person can possibly be. It is a good time for reflection and meditation. I can ponder things as trivial as what I will do that day. Or maybe I will try to solve all the ills of the world.

I will think of my loved ones. It might be loved ones who are no longer here and I can smile at a memory and miss them for a moment. I might think of loved ones who are still in this world and look forward to seeing them. Or maybe I remember something from the past with them that makes me smile.

When I finally make myself re-enter the world that takes me away from my window I feel totally refreshed. I feel happy and I can begin my day happy and alert. And I will look forward to what the world of the window will bring tomorrow.